Acetylene producer



Mar. 6, 1923.

, C. WIEDENA'NN. ACETYLENE PRODUCER.

FILED NOV. 28,1917.

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNITED .STATES- 1,447,195 PATENT orricE'-,

CARL WIEDEMANN, OF B-RESLAU',l GERMANY, 'ASSIGNOR, QBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 THE CHEMICALA FOUNDATION, INC., A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AcE'rYLENE PRODUCER.

Application led November 428, 1917.. Serial No. 204,440.

(GRANTED UNDER. TH-E PROVISIONS'OF THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

To alt whom t 'may conce'm Be it known that I, CARL VIEDEMANN, a subject of the German Emperor, and residing at Breslau, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetyle'ne Producers (for which an application was filed in Germany, September 21, 1916), of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an acetylene gas producer provided with an automatic regulating device for-the water supply to the carbide container enclosed by the gas' holder, the said arrangement allowin of a very simpleconstruction and manipu ation together with a 'liner regulation of the water Supply in accordance-with the gas consump: tion, whereby a more economicconsum-ptmn of carbide is obtained.

According to the present invention the water supply is effected by means of two communicating tubes of unequal length, of which tubes the longer tube 1s connected to the opening in the top of the gas holder preferably having the shape of a dish for receiving the water coming from the water tank; the shorter of said tubes is providedl in known manner within the gas holder with several orifices disposed above each other. The discharge pipe from the water tank disposed above the gas holder, byvwhich the water is supplied to the said dish, is arra-nged Within the ath of said dish or of an extension thereoi In the accompanying drawing a constructional form of the producer according to the present invention iis exemplified in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1`is a. vertical section through the producer; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line A-A in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are, on an enlarged scale, front and side elevation of the mouth of the shorter-'limb of the U-shaped tube.

Figs. .5 and 6 illustrate another modification of the communicating tubes.v

Within an outer cylindrical vessel 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) is immovably fitted a likewise cylindrical vessel 2, which serves to receive the carbide. Through this vessel 2 passes a vertical tube 3 having a` perforated wall. To this centrally disposed tube is secured at its bottom a plate 4, on which a plate 5 of some suitable absorbent materiai is placed, the said plates serving as support for `the carbide 6. On the top of the carbide is placed n weighting annular plate 7.

The annular space between the cylinder 1 and the vessel 2 is filled with water, and into this water dips the hood of the gas holder 8, which may be vertically guided in any suitable maliner. For example guide f rods 9 (only one such guide rod isv shown in Fig. 1) maybe attached to the cylinder 1, an guide rings 10 are provided on the gas holder hood 9 and slide on said guide rods 9, stops l1, 11 being provided to meet and arrest said rings at the lowest and highest position of the hood, respectively.

At certain points (in the constructional form shown at three such points) the wall bf'the vcylinder 1 extends upwards-inv form of ears 12, 12', 12, on which ears the water tank disposed above the gas holder rests.

This water tank 1 3 (Fig. 2) is made of a cylindrical shape and has a central shaft 14 open at top and bottom. To the short discharge pipe -13 leadinginto this shaft is connected by means of a short piece of rubber tubing 16 the discharge pipe l5, so that the latter may be rocked like a single-armed lever in a vertical plane. The said roc-king movement from the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1 upwards is performed 1n the said central shaft 14 in the water tank 13. The discharge pipe 15 is controlled by the hood of 'the gas holder, in the constructional :form shown in the drawing, by means of an upward extension 17 of the top 8 of the hood, on which extension the said pipe 15 bears, in the constructional form shown, with its own Weight. When the hood rises, the extension 17 will gradually raise the pipe 15 into the shaft 1,4. When thereby the mouth 15 of said pipe 15 has been raised above the water levels in the tank 13, the discharge of water through the pipe 15 will cease.

To the pipe 15 is attached (but not shown in thefdrawing) a handle, by Inleans of which the said pipe may be lifted independently of the hood to stop the discharge of water, and provision is made to arrest the pipe in such position. lThis arrangement is to allow of' arresting or again starting the operation of the producer.

For receivin the water lowing vfrom the mouth 15 of t e discharge 'pipe 15 the top VDM 8 ofthe hood is made in form of a dish, the depth-of which is' very small, in order that there may be no detrimental effect b `a varying weight on the hood. This dish as a central bore, to which is connected the longer limb 18 of the U-shaped tube 18-18. Below the mouth 18 of the shorter limb 18 the walls of the latter are provided in known manner with one or several perforation's 19 (see also Figs. 3, 4). `The mouth 18 of the' U-shaped tube 18, 18 is bevelled and has, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, such 'a shape, that the water will slowly overflow at the lower end of the said mouth compressed to a gutter spout. l

As 'shown in the drawing the U-shaped tube 18, 18' is, in already known manner, made less wide than the central tube 3, so that it can enter into the latter when the hood sinks; A pipe 20 is provided for conducting the gas accumulating within thegas holder from the latter and to the place where it is to be used. This pipe is carried downward along the wall of vessel 2 and passes at a suitable point through the wall of they cylindrical vessel 1. l

The operation of the hereinbefore described .arrangement is as follows:V When the acetylene producer is to be operated for the first time, there will not be any water in the U-shaped tube 18, 18 and the' hood 8, 8 of the gas holder will be in its lowest position (in Fig. 1 it is shown in an intermediate position).

The discharge pipe 15 which haduntil now been in the position indicated byl dotted lines in Fig. 1, is unlocked therefrom so that it bears b .its gravity on the extension 17 of the hoo Water wlll thereupon run from the mouth.15 of the pipe 15, and dropping down be received by the dish-shaped top 8 of the hood. From this dish the water flows into the U-shaped tube 18, 18,whereby the water settles at equal levels in both limbs` thereof, the said level rising continuously. When this level hasrisen as far as the orices 19 (Figs. 1, y3, 4) the Water will escape through the same, fall through thegcentral tube ,3 and enter through the perforated walls thereof into the lowest layer of carbide. The generation of gas now commences, whereby the pressure within .the gas holder is somewhat raised. This causes the water level in 18 to be forced down, so that the esca e of water from' the orifices ceases again. i evertheless the amount of water previous] supplied to the carbide still allows a rther production 'of gas, whereby the pressure within the gas holder rises further; as however simultaneously water ows from pipe 15 into tube 18, only the level in tube 18 will change and rise so far that generally the bottom of the dish 8 is covered with water. When the water column accumulatmg in 18 overcomes the gas pressure actin on the water level in 18, the water level wil rise in, 18 until water again escapes from the orifices 19. This escaping water will suffice to produce the normal volume of gas required and willnotvary even if the'same" should be somewhat smaller than the water supply', as owing to the large width of the dish compared to the diameter of the U-tubes the excess in water supply will not materially affect .the difference between the water levels in vthe two tubes 18 and 18 respectively. On the contrary, more water is supplied than escapes in order to provide an excess of 'water for the time when a part of the carbide has been consumed, and the lime mud formed will require a larger volume of water.

If the water supply! is not suiicient to produce the required volume of gas, and the gas pressure 'in consequence thereof isv lower somewhatwithin thegas holder, the water level in 18 will rise and finally the water will escape from the orifices 18 so that an increased supply of water reacts with the carbide. When in consequence of a reduced consumption of gas the gas pressure. within the gas holder rises, the water level in 18 will beforced downA whereby firstly the flow of water from-18 and eventually also that from the orifices 19 will cease.

The arrangement of the orifices 18- and 19 above each other in the comparatively narrow U-tube limb 18 will consequently allow of an extremely fine regulation of the water supply to the carbide. For obtaining the same object it is not absolutely necessary for the U-tube to be open at one end; it is suiicient to provide orifices for the escape of water at various levels.

During the processes described the hood of the gas 'holder changes its level but very little, as the variations in the pressure within were still comparatively small. When, however, the gas consumption falls still further, the hood will rise and its extension 17 will push the pipe 15, rocking it upwards into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 around its pivoting' point 13 into the shaft 14. Thereby the head over the mouth i -to sink, the pipe 15 will follow the sinking extension 17 under the action of gravity., water will commence to iow from the said pipe and will, eventually, when the gas consumption has reached the normal ligure, also escape from the orifices 19. i

'hen the production of' gas is to be stopped entirely. the pipe 15 is lifted by its handle into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Instead of the hereinbef'ore mentioned U- pipe. 1S, 18 an arrangement according to Figs. 5 and: 6 may be employed. According to Fig. 5 a receiver 21 is secured to the underside of' t-he hood top S', into which receiver dips a tube 22 attached to the central bore in the dish 8. The wall of said re.- ceiver is provided with orifices 18 and 19 arranged above each other. The. arrangement according to Fig. 6 differs from that shown in Fig. 5 merely in that the tube is attached to the bottom of' the receiver 2l terminating below the hood top 8 and has at its lower end orifices 23 for the water to passinto the receiver. The effect. is the same as hereinbef'ore described. The annular space Vbetween the receiver 21 andthe tube 22 here takes the place of the shorter limb of' the U-tube.

'I claim: f

1; An acetylene producer comprising a carbide container enclosed within a gas holder. said gas holder comprising a receptacle and a bell within said receptacle. said bell having a dish-shaped top, a water tank ldisposed above said bell. a discharge pipe attached to said water tank and positioned to discharge upon said top of said bell. a central bore in said top ot' said bell. a- U-shaped tufbe having one liinb thereot attached to said top of said bell and leading out of said bore. the second limb ot' said tube being free and shorter than said first mentioned limb and having a plurality ofl orifices in vertical arrangement.

i2. An acetylene producer comprising a carbide container enclosed within a gas holder. said gas holder comprising a. receptacle and aV bell within said receptacle. said bell having a dish-shaped top. a water tank disposed above said bell. a discharge pipe adjustably attached to said Awater tank and positioned to discharge upon said top of said bell. a, central bore in said top of said bell. a. U-shaped tube having one limb thereof' attached to said top of said bell and leadingout of said bore, the second limb ot' said tube being free and shorter than said tirstI mentioned limb and having a. plurality of' orifices in vertical arrangement.

' 3. An acetyleneproducercomprisingacarbide container enclosed Within a. gas holder, said gas holder comp-'rising a receptacle and a movable bell within said receptacle, said bell having a dish-shaped top' and an extension, a water tank disposed above said bell. a. discharge pipe flexibly attached to said water tank. said pipe being disposed within the path of movement ofsaid extension and positioned to discharge upon said top ot' said' bell. a central bore in said top of said bell, a U-shaped tube having one limb thereof attached to said top of said bell and leading out of' said bore,` the. second limb of said tube being free and shorter than said first mentioned limb and having a plurality of orifices in vertical arrangement.

l. An acetylene producer comprising a carbide container enclosed within a gas holder. said gas holder comprising a receptacle and a movable. bell within said receptacle, said bell having a dish-shaped top, a water tank disposed above said bell. a discharge pipe attached to said water tank. said pipe being positioned to discharge upon said top of said bell and adapted to be rocked in a. vertical plane by movement of said bell. a central bore in said top of said bell, ar U-shaped tube having one limb thereof attached to saidtop of' said `bell and leading out of said bore. the second lamb of said tube being free and shorter than said first mentioned limb and having a plurality of orifices in vertical arrangement.

In testimony whereof I` affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL lVIEDEMANN.

Vitnesses:

SIEGFRIED LUsTIG. Dr. Noslio FINzI. 

